thyssenkrupp recently gained its biggest-ever passenger boarding bridges contract with 143 units for Istanbul New Airport. It is demanding, not just in terms of size, complexity and volume, but also in the sense of rapid delivery, as Alexander Pfurr, CEO airport systems at thyssenkrupp Access Solutions, explained to Ross Falconer.
The €10.2 billion Istanbul New Airport mega-hub is one of the most significant infrastructure developments ever to be undertaken in Turkey, and will propel the nation to the centre of the global aviation industry.
thyssenkrupp has been awarded the contract to supply 143 passenger boarding bridges (PBBs) and, with the airport to open in early 2018, has just 15 months to complete the project.
Alexander Pfurr, CEO airport systems at thyssenkrupp Access Solutions: “Our involvement in the Istanbul New Airport project is very important to us, since it not only ensures needed new installation workload for our factory in Europe, but also allows us to participate in the support of the eventually-commissioned equipment over its lifetime, living our business model of being a long-lasting business partner.”
“Our involvement in this project is very important to us, since it not only ensures needed new installation workload for our factory in Europe, but also allows us to participate in the support of the eventually-commissioned equipment over its lifetime, living our business model of being a long-lasting business partner,” says Alexander Pfurr, CEO airport systems at thyssenkrupp Access Solutions. “Since thyssenkrupp is in charge of all key maintenance tasks, we will employ highly specialised experts and local staff who will be working to ensure optimal performance of the PBBs.”
Over the past 10 years, thyssenkrupp has completed similar projects at the airports of Doha, Abu Dhabi, Medina, Jeddah, and Dubai. The key challenge with Istanbul New Airport is the short delivery schedule for such a large order, combined with the task to align all subcontractors and suppliers to deliver a complete solution with ground power, preconditioned air equipment, and other combined features, which have to be delivered in less than 18 months. “We are certain that we will be successful, since we are working with an extremely professional team and with the İGA staff in close partnership, being the only way to accomplish the quality and highest performance expected by our client,” Pfurr comments.
The aircraft handled at Istanbul New Airport will range from Code C (73 7/ A320) to Code F (747-8/A380), so flexibility will be built in with PBBs capable of servicing this wide array. Meanwhile, the aircraft parking concept includes MARS (Multiple Aircraft Ramp System) stands capable of handling one Code F or two Code C aircraft per gate.
“The PBBs to be installed are fully integrated on a turnkey basis with all relevant auxiliary equipment in full compliance with the latest edition of the European Standard for PBBs, including all safety features,” Pfurr explains. “All units are fully equipped with aircraft ground power and preconditioned air units, together with thyssenkrupp’s Air Hose Management System, CNDL.”
thyssenkrupp also played an important part in the modernisation of RIO Galeão International Airport, with the installation of 118 elevators, escalators, moving walks and passenger boarding bridges. “The synergies that we were able to exploit by combining all people moving products and services in conjunction with local manufacturing in Brazil, banking on our qualified technical field staff, enabled us to avoid any disruption in airport operations,” Pfurr notes.
thyssenkrupp continues to focus on the gate solutions business to maintain its global reach, and is in the process of finishing major installations in Asia with 40 PBBs each at Chongqing and Hong Kong airports. A contract for 106 units to be fully installed and commissioned at Abu Dhabi International Airport will go live in 2017/18. “Expanding our network for operations and maintenance services to gate systems and other airport activities will drive us forward to get to more than 5,000 units supplied to over 150 airports,” Pfurr concludes.
thyssenkrupp recently gained its biggest-ever passenger boarding bridges contract with 143 units for Istanbul New Airport. It is demanding, not just in terms of size, complexity and volume, but also in the sense of rapid delivery.
